It was 1987 and in that period biker rallies in Italy were practically non-existent. A few small meetings of the so-called Blue Jackets of Italy, some meetings of local biker groups, but nothing more. Thus the "Motârs" (translation into the Friulian language - coined by themselves and previously non-existent - of the word "biker"), a group of expert Friulian motorcyclists and rockers, some of whom already have a decade of Biker history behind them, decide to commit themselves to the creation of a particular party, more complex than the few existing in Italy.
An event that would follow in the footsteps of the large gatherings of Northern Europe, in particular those - well known to them - organized in Germany (the German Bike Week, the Biker Union Rally and the President Rally) or overseas (Daytona Bike Week and Sturgis first and foremost).
The beginning was difficult and the first edition, that of 1987, was marked by pouring rain. On Friday there were no more than 250 participants, but on Saturday there were a considerable number of around 600 people, with over 400 motorbikes. Not many, but for a small community like that of Villanova di San Daniele (Udine), which has only a thousand inhabitants, the biker rally represents a sort of invasion: so many tattoos, tents and such long forks had never been seen before. In those years it was a great success for the national biker movement and for the organizers. For the first time in Italy, biker handshakes (with thumbs crossed) were seen and copied, in a few years all Italian motorcyclists will shake hands in that way. The organizers also - following the GBI trend - support the greeting between Bikers when they meet on the street.
The interest and the participants in the gathering grow progressively and constantly year after year despite the rain that drenches almost every edition, to the point that some called it "Rain Fest", participating as a "challenge" to the bad weather. The credit for the constant growth goes to the attentive and expert organizers who take care of every detail to make guests feel at ease: kindness, night lighting, services of all kinds including hygienic ones and hot showers, which, together with countless new international shows and concerts, are wasted. Since the first editions, every parked motorbike has a wooden board under the stand, to prevent it from sinking. "The best" of everything seen at rallies across Europe is copied, and after the 1990s, ideas are also taken from major American events. The initiatives that accompany the party are also growing: lotteries with motorcycles, mopeds, leather clothing and helmets up for grabs, trips to Daytona (for the winners of their own Custom Bike Shows), international stands, tattoo and airbrush conventions since the first editions, helicopter rides, bungee jumping, sexy shows with great erotic stars (Luana Borgia, Baby Pozzi, Selen, Edelweiss, Justin among many), ever bigger concerts, international and important…
we are talking about: Motorhead, Ronnie James Dio, Kim Brown, Creedence Clearwater Rev., Status Quo, Uriah Heep, Dr. Feelgood, Sweet, Alvin Lee, Whitesnake, Soon, Rats, Yardbirds, Animals, Canned Heat, Wishbone Ash, Blues Pumpm, Alex Sure Band, Trutz “Viking” Groth, Ten Years After, Kim & The Cadillacs, Saxon, Twin Dragons and Tony Martin [Black Sabbath], Andrea Braido, Uli Roth of the Scorpions and Jaime Dolce, to name a few. There is no shortage of new innovations such as games of all kinds with the birth (for the first time in Italy) of monobike races, the participation of famous people and names from the world of sport and entertainment. Thus we reached 4,000 people in '90, 13,000 in '94 and over 23,000 in '97 during the eleventh edition, in a limitless crescendo. All in an atmosphere of friendship and solidarity that unites all the European participants present in the name of passion for motorbikes, whatever it is, but without ever forgetting the origins: Chopper and Custom!
In 1998 the choice was made, which proved to be a winning one, to change the location of the event, which had now become too limited and not safe enough to contain the tens of thousands of participants. From Villanova di San Daniele we move on to Osoppo, still in the province of Udine, about ten kilometers from the previous headquarters. The new area is that of Rivellino di Osoppo, large (approximately 280,000 m2, of which 6,000 are covered), spacious and surrounded by greenery. In 1999 there were 32,000 visitors, with over 17,000 parked motorbikes of all types and brands. The great new features of the 13th edition are the national Dragster competitions and the international Stunt Men competition, the first and last held to date in Italy. Given the excellent success of the event and the great sense of civility of the participants, the organizers received public praise from the Mayor of Osoppo and the first citizens of the neighboring municipalities.
In 2001 we returned to the municipality of San Daniele del Friuli (home of the renowned ham), this time however in the area of the ham factories, a space large enough for everyone, but unfortunately without any natural shelter from the scorching sun. Furthermore, an infamous and unjust administrative imposition requires reducing the event from four to just two days; a price in terms of attendance that the area will pay for the entire decade to come. Despite this, bikers continue to arrive, even from overseas, to experience the adrenaline-filled atmosphere that can be felt in the WE of the Biker Fest, which has supported the event since 1995 also through a dedicated website. Overland vehicles were present for the occasion in support of Unicef. Ricky Angerer and the Show Action Group are entrusted with the acrobatic shows, while for the music the names of the unforgettable Status Quo (GB) and Creedence Clearwater Revived (USA) resonate. 2002 arrives in an instant and sees the return of the event to where it was born, but now the visitors have increased a hundredfold and the space available is too small. Other shows and attractions are added to the more traditional ones, but as always good music reigns supreme. The 17th edition in San Daniele del Friuli (UD) is not the most favourable, due to the excessive heat (42°) and also the unfair competition put in place by certain traders outside.
After numerous efforts to find a more suitable space to host the event, in 2004 the event moved to Monte Zoncolan in Sutrio, where the excellent hotel accommodation makes it possible to satisfy the needs of all types of bikers, from the roughest to the most tired and stressed, who are looking for fun and relaxation after weeks of hard work.
After the 25th edition which took place in 2011 in the Rivellino Park in Osoppo, the great turning point in 2012 brought the event to Lignano Sabbiadoro, modifying its setting and totally reinventing the format.
Now the Biker Fest uses an entire seaside city, in just a decade the Italian and European Daytona was consecrated, becoming not only the largest event of its kind on the Old Continent, but the third world event in order of importance and number of attendances. A painstaking study from 2023-24 declares that the turnover in the area exceeds 60 million euros!
